Floor lock for a motor vehicle seat

ABSTRACT

A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat for detachably connecting the motor vehicle seat to the vehicle floor, with has a locking pawl adjustable between a locked position and an unlocked position and a locking control pawl, which fixes the position of the locking pawl, is in operative connection with the locking pawl and is adjustable relative to the latter between a closed position and an open position. The locked position of the locking pawl is secured by a securing pawl arranged in a secured position, the securing pawl being in operative connection with the locking pawl and being adjustable by the latter between the secured position and a release position.

The invention relates to a floor lock for a motor vehicle seat fordetachably connecting the motor vehicle seat to a vehicle floor, with

-   -   a locking pawl adjustable between a locked position and an        unlocked position and    -   a control pawl which fixes the position of the locking pawl, is        in operative connection with the locking pawl and is adjustable        relative to the latter between a closed position and an open        position.

Locks of the type initially mentioned are used particularly inlarge-capacity passenger vehicles or vans to increase the flexibility ofthese vehicles. The motor vehicle seats usable for these vehicles, whichare equipped with a generic floor lock, enable simple installation andremoval of at least the motor vehicle seats situated in the back area ofthe vehicle, so the vehicle can be adapted easily for the intended use.In cases where there is a need for greater loading volume, the vehicleseats are removed, and for carrying a greater number of people, theseats can be arranged in the vehicle again. The generic floor locks workin this respect together with locking elements fix-mounted in thevehicle, such as locking bars, on which the floor locks are locked inplace in their closed position and thus determine the position of themotor vehicle seat.

It is essential for passenger safety that the floor locks situated onthe motor vehicle seats which serve to connect the motor vehicle seatwith the vehicle ensure a reliable connection of the motor vehicle seatto the vehicle despite enabling simple installation and removal in thevehicle; even under crash conditions, it must be ensured that thevehicle seat does not leave its set position due to the increasedforces.

It is the object of the invention to provide a floor lock of the typeinitially mentioned, which facilitates convenient installation andremoval of a vehicle seat connected with the floor lock, but at the sametime ensures highly secure positioning of the motor vehicle seat in thevehicle. The invention solves the object with a floor lock having thefeatures of claim 1.

Advantageous further developments of the invention are specified in thedependent claims.

It is characteristic of the inventive floor lock that the lockedposition of the locking pawl, in which said pawl acts in its installedposition in the vehicle together with a locking element provided in thevehicle for engagement with the floor lock, is secured by a securingpawl arranged in a secured position in which the securing pawl is inoperative connection with the control pawl and is adjustable using thelatter between the secured position and a release position. It isimportant for the inventive floor lock that the locking pawl providedfor moving the locking pawl between its locked position and unlockedposition is also used for moving the securing pawl, which itself securesthe position of the locking pawl in the locked position and thuseffectively prevents a separation of the connection between the floorlock and the motor vehicle. Control of the movement of the securing pawlby the control pawl also provided to control the movement of the lockingpawl ensures error-free co-action of the locking pawl and securing pawlin a particularly reliable way in this. False positioning of thesecuring pawl with respect to the locking pawl can be effectivelyavoided by the inventive embodiment of the floor lock. Furthermore, theposition of the locking pawl in the unlocked position is reliablysecured by the securing pawl, with sufficiently high resistance offeredto the increased forces occurring in the case of a crash as well.

An adjustment of the securing pawl from its secured position to itsrelease position which releases the locking pawl and/or of the lockingpawl from its locked position to its unlocked position can fundamentallyoccur in any manner. Likewise the choice of embodiment for the adjustingmovement of the pawls with respect to one another is fundamentally open,with preference for the pawls arranged in a manner able to be swiveledto each other. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment ofthe invention, the securing pawl is pretension in the direction of itsrelease position and/or the locking pawl is pretensioned in thedirection of its unlocked position. According to this extension of theinvention, the securing pawl and/or the locking pawl attempt to assumetheir release position or unlocked position due to their pretension.However, a corresponding movement of the locking pawl and/or securingpawl is prevented by the control pawl in operative connection with thelocking pawl and the securing pawl, because according to the invention,the position of the locking pawl and securing pawl is determinable bythe position of the control pawl. However, the advantageously providedpretension of the securing pawl and/or locking pawl makes it possible toforgo an additional gear for the securing pawl and/or locking pawl if amovement of the locking and/or securing pawl is enabled by the positionof the control pawl. A floor lock embodied in this manner thus has aparticularly simple and compact construction and high functionalreliability.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided thatthe control pawl be pretensioned in the direction of its closedposition. The locked position of the locking pawl and the securedposition of the securing pawl are associated with the closed position ofthe control pawl. The advantageously provided pretension of the controlpawl in the direction of the closed position has the result that, in itsun-tensioned state, the control pawl arranges the locking pawl and thesecuring pawl automatically in their locked and secured positionsrespectively. Thus this embodiment of the invention can prevent amovement of the locking and securing pawls in the direction of theirunlocked position and release position respectively in a particularlyreliable manner. A release of the floor lock requires that the controlpawl first be moved against the pretension acting on the control pawl.

In the case of a concurrent pretensioning of the securing pawl in thedirection of its release position, the locking pawl in the direction ofits unlocked position and the control pawl in the direction of itsclosed position, according to a particularly advantageous development ofthe invention, it is provided that the pretension acting on the controlpawl is greater than the pretension acting on the securing pawl and/orlocking pawl. For one, this embodiment of the invention ensures that inthe case of a movement of the control pawl in the direction of its openposition, the securing pawl and locking pawl in operative connectionwith the control pawl and the locking pawl are moved automatically inthe direction of their unlocked position and release position due to thespring pretension present. At the same time, the spring pretension ofthe control pawl ensures that in the untensioned state it pretensionsthe floor lock in the direction of the locked position of the lockingpawl so that unintended opening of the floor lock is effectivelycounteracted. Due to the higher pretension force of the control pawlwith respect to the pretensioning of the securing pawl and locking pawl,unintended movement of the locking and securing pawl in the direction oftheir unlocked position and release position is effectively preventeddespite the pretensioning of the securing and locking pawl. Here it isparticularly advantageous that the pretension force acting on thecontrol pawl is greater than the sum of the pretension forces acting onthe locking pawl and securing pawl if these are both pretensioned.

The choice of embodiment for the operative connection of the controlpawl with the locking pawl and/or securing pawl is fundamentally open.However, in the case of the usual resulting use of pawls which arearranged pivotable to each other, according to a particularlyadvantageous embodiment it is envisaged that the control pawl in itsclosed position touches surfaces of the securing pawl and the lockingpawl facing each other. According to this embodiment of the invention,the control pawl for moving the locking and securing pawl touches boththe locking pawl and the securing pawl. In the case of the pivotablearrangement of the pawls provided for this embodiment, in which theseare borne hinged on axes running parallel to each other, the arrangementof the locking pawl and the securing pawl occurs in such a way thatthese must execute opposed pivoting movements to open the floor lock. Acontrol pawl thus able to be arranged in the pivoting range of thesecuring pawl and locking pawl is particularly suited for blocking theopening movements of these pawls. The contact surfaces of the lockingpawl and securing pawl are facing each other here so that the controlpawl is situated between the surfaces facing each other, and thesesurfaces move toward one another during an opening movement.

Surface contact of the control pawl with both the securing pawl and thelocking pawl ensures high functional reliability, because movements ofthe control pawl are implemented directly in corresponding movements ofthe securing and locking pawl, with the course of movement determinableby the contour of the surfaces in contact with each other. Furthermore,the arrangement of the control pawl between the securing pawl and thelocking pawl provided according to this advantageous embodiment of theinvention ensures very good control of the locking pawl and securingpawl, which can prevent unintended opening of the floor lock withparticular effectiveness.

Position fixation of the securing and/or locking pawl can fundamentallyoccur in any manner, with the arrangement of the control pawl in thearea between two surfaces of the securing pawl and locking pawl facingeach other, which is provided according to an advantageous embodiment ofthe invention, already serving to fix position. According to aparticularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is envisagedthat the touching surfaces of the control pawl and the securing pawland/or the control pawl and the locking pawl in the closed position ofthe control pawl are formed in such a way that self-locking occursbetween the touching surfaces, which inhibits independent movement ofthe securing pawl in the direction of its release position and/or of thelocking pawl in the direction of its unlocked position. According tothis embodiment of the invention, the arrangement of the touchingsurfaces of the control pawl and locking pawl and/or control pawl andsecuring pawl blocks an unintended movement of the locking pawl and/orsecuring pawl due to the self-locking configured, so that unintendedopening of the floor lock can be prevented in a particularly effectiveand simple manner. Additional securing measures for fixing the positionof the securing pawl and/or locking pawl can be omitted with thisembodiment of the invention, so the floor lock can be manufacturedparticularly easily and cost-effectively.

It is important for the function of the floor lock that it be reliablysecured in its locked position. For the function of secure locking ofthe floor lock, it is basically of no concern to what extent theposition of the locking pawl, securing pawl and/or control pawl can bedetermined in the case of an open floor lock. According to aparticularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it isenvisaged that the control pawl in its open position is situated in sucha way on the locking pawl arranged in the unlocked position and/or thesecuring pawl arranged in the release position that the locking pawl isblocked against movement in the direction of its locked position and/orthe securing pawl is blocked against movement in the direction of itssecured position. According to this embodiment of the invention, a floorlock constructed in this way offers the possibility to lock the lockingpawl and/or the securing pawl in its release position or unlockedposition so that a motor vehicle seat equipped with such a floor lockcan be removed in a particularly simple and convenient manner afterdetermining this position, without the need for continuous actuation ofthe floor lock. The control pawl can be used to set the locking pawland/or securing pawl here; it is also suited for limiting the openingmovement of the locking pawl and the securing pawl so that incorrectuses and damage to the motor vehicle by the pawls protruding to asignificant extent from the floor lock can be prevented with particulareffectiveness.

To lock a motor vehicle seat equipped with the inventive floor lock, itis necessary to close the floor lock in the installed position in themotor vehicle, in which the locking pawl is engaged with a lockingelement on the motor vehicle. A movement of the locking pawl in thedirection of the closed position can occur here in basically any way,for example by manual actuation of the control pawl for the case thatthe vehicle user recognizes a correct positioning of the floor lock withrespect to the locking element.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention,however, it is provided that the locking pawl has an actuating elementwhich can be brought into engagement with a locking element, theactuating element being situated in such a way that a movement of thelocking pawl which is in the open position in the direction of thelocking element causes a movement of the locking pawl in the directionof the closed position. According to this embodiment of the invention,there is an actuating element situated on the locking pawl, which, uponmovement of a motor vehicle seat equipped with such a developed floorlock in the direction of its installed position, engages with thelocking element provided on the motor vehicle for connecting with thefloor lock and in the process moves the locking pawl into the lockedposition if the positioning is correct. A corresponding embodiment ofthe invention in which, for example, a projection can be situated on thelocking pawl, said projection able to engage with the locking element,ensures that a movement of the locking pawl occurs only if it is in therequired position with respect to the locking element for attachment onthe vehicle. This embodiment of the invention is particularly effectivefor avoiding incorrect operation of the floor lock. Furthermore, it isalso ensured here based on the operative connection provided by theinvention between the locking pawl, control pawl and securing pawl thatthe securing pawl can also be found in the secured position associatedwith the locked position of the locking pawl due to the movement causedby the actuating element.

It is important for the function of the inventive floor lock that it bereliably situated on the locking element arranged on the vehicle in thelocked position of the locking pawl. The locking element is fixedrelative to the floor lock as much as possible in the locked position ofthe locking pawl of the floor lock. According to a particularlyadvantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided for this thatin the locked position, the locking pawl encompasses the locking elementsituated in a recessed section of a housing in such a way that thelocking element is framed by the locking pawl and the housing. Accordingto this embodiment of the invention, the floor lock has a housing which,together with the locking pawl, completely frames the locking element inthe locked position of the locking pawl, so that a separation of theconnection between the floor lock and the locking element is preventedwith particular reliability. Movements of the locking element relativeto the floor lock are limited either by surfaces of the locking pawl orof the housing.

Basically, the floor lock can be designed in such a way that in thelocked position of the locking pawl there is sufficiently dimensionedspace between said pawl and the housing to compensate tolerances of thelocking element with respect to the floor lock. According to aparticularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it isprovided that the locking pawl is adjustable via a partialarea—nonetheless framing the locking element with the housing in doingso—to compensate position tolerances with respect to the locking elementfrom the locked position in the direction of the unlocked position, withthe contact areas of the locking pawl and the control pawl formed insuch a way that independent movement of the locking pawl from a positionwithin the partial area in the direction of the unlocked position isblocked by self-locking.

According to this embodiment of the invention it is provided that thelocking pawl is adjustable to compensate tolerances with respect to thelocking element in the direction of the unlocked position in a partialarea, with the locking pawl framing the locking element together withthe housing in the partial area as before, starting from the lockedposition, so that reliable positioning of the floor lock is ensured withrespect to the locking element. Here the contact surfaces of the lockingpawl and control pawl are designed in such a way that, in the case of alocking pawl moved in the direction of the unlocked position as well,the position then assumed within the partial area is blocked byself-locking due to an arrangement of the surfaces of the locking pawland control pawl, so that a movement of the locking pawl out of aposition within the partial area is prevented and no unintended openingmovement results.

The co-action of the securing pawl and locking pawl in the securedposition of the securing pawl is fundamentally open to choice. However,according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, itis envisaged that the securing pawl at least partially encompass thehook-shaped locking pawl on the outer side. This embodiment of theinvention achieves a fixing of the locking pawl position by the securingpawl in a particularly simple manner. An opening movement of the lockingpawl in the direction of its unlocked position is prevented withparticular effectiveness by the securing pawl encompassing the lockingpawl at least partially on the outer side. Thus a movement of thelocking pawl is only possible after the securing pawl is removed fromthe adjustment range of the locking pawl.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, itis provided here that the contact surfaces of the locking pawl andsecuring pawl touching in the crash position are spaced apart in thelocked position of the locking pawl. This embodiment of the inventioncan avoid noise which may result from contact of the surfaces withparticular effectiveness. Furthermore, it is ensured that nonetheless inthe case of a crash the securing pawl blocks a movement of the lockingpawl in the direction of the unlocked position, so even in case of acrash a particularly reliable positioning of a motor vehicle seatprovided with the floor lock is ensured on the vehicle floor.

Basically, any means can be used for actuating the control pawl.According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention,however, the control pawl is connected with an attachment element, inparticular a fastening clip for arranging a pull strap. According tothis embodiment of the invention, particularly simple operation of thefloor lock can be achieved in which for this the pull strap is simplyled out of the floor lock and can be grasped in a simple manner by theuser.

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to thedrawings. The drawings show in:

FIG. 1 an exploded view of a floor lock;

FIG. 2 a perspective view of a front side of the floor lock of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a rear view of the floor lock of FIG. 1 without depicting ahousing base body;

FIG. 4 a front view of the floor lock of FIG. 1 without depicting acover plate;

FIG. 5 a front view of the floor lock of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 a rear view of the floor lock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a floor lock 1 provided on a motorvehicle seat not shown here; the motor vehicle seat can be mounted inthe vehicle with said lock. The key functional components of the floorlock 1 are a locking pawl 2, a control pawl 3 and a securing pawl 4.These pawls 2, 3, 4 are borne hinged on a housing base body 5, withhinge pins 7, 8 provided for this on the housing base body 5, whichextend through drilled holes 13, 14, 15 of the pawls 2, 3, 4.

In the assembled position of the floor lock 1, a cover plate 6 coversthe pawls 2, 3, 4 situated on the housing base body 5 and thus securestheir position on the housing base body 5, with the spacing of the coverplate 6 with respect to the housing base body 5 determined by a distancepin 12 situated between the housing base body 5 and the cover plate 6,which furthermore can also be used for redirecting a pull strap notshown here, with which a user can make an adjustment of the floor lock1.

A fastening clip 9 is situated on the control pawl 3 for operating thefloor lock 1 using a pull strap; the pull strap can be attached to saidclip. There is a bolt 19 for arranging the fastening clip 9 whichextends through an attachment hole on the fastening clip 9 as well asthrough a hole 18 in the control pawl 3.

In the assembled position of the floor lock 1, a leg spring 10 is usedto pretension the locking pawl 2 and the control pawl 3, with thecontrol pawl 3 pretensioned in the direction of the closed position ofthe floor lock 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, whereas the locking pawl 3 ispretensioned in the direction of its open position. The leg spring 10 issituated for this with its coil section coaxial to the bearing bolt 7providing hinged support for the control pawl 3, with the first leg ofthe leg spring 10 in a hole of the locking pawl 2 and the second leg ofthe leg spring 10 touching the control pawl 3.

A further leg spring 11 with its first leg situated on the housing basebody 5 and the opposing second leg on a back side of the securing pawl 4is used to pretension the securing pawl 4 in the direction of therelease position corresponding to the open position of the floor lock 1.The securing pawl 4 and the locking pawl 3 touch opposite surfaces ofthe control pawl 2 with their surfaces facing one another due to thepretension forces from the leg springs 10, 11.

In the closed position of the floor lock 1 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, thelocking pawl 2 and the securing pawl 4 touch opposite surfaces of thecontrol pawl 3 with contact surfaces facing each other. The locking pawl2 forms a closed, recessed section 20 together with a section of thehousing base body 5, which is used to receive a locking element notshown here. In the closed position of the floor lock 1, the floor lock 1thus ensures secure positioning of a motor vehicle seat connected withthe floor lock 1, because the locking element cannot escape from therecessed section 20. The securing pawl 4, which engages behind thelocking pawl 2 in its locked position, additionally secures the closedposition of the floor lock 1 and reliably prevents that an opening ofthe floor lock 1 does not occur in the case of a crash despite theincreased forces then between the locking pawl 2 and the lockingelement. Here the position of the securing pawl 4 and the locking pawl 2assumed in the closed position 1 is secured by self-locking between thecontact areas of these pawls 2, 4 with the control pawl 3.

To open the floor lock 1 it is necessary to move the control pawl 3 inthe direction of the distance pin 12—clockwise with reference to therepresentation in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. Then an opposite pivoting movementof the locking pawl 2 and the securing pawl 4 occurs due to theresultant spacing changes between the contact surfaces of the lockingpawl 2 and the securing pawl 4 due to the contour of the control pawl 3,so that the recessed section 20 becomes accessible from the outside. Alocking element situated within the recessed section 20 can then bemoved out of the floor lock 1 or into the floor lock 1.

The opening movement of the locking pawl 2 and the securing pawl 4 islimited in this by the adjusting movement of the control pawl 3.

To arrange the floor lock 1 on the motor vehicle, the floor lock 1 is inthe open state, and the locking element must then be moved into therecessed section 20. In the open position of the floor lock 1, thelocking pawl 2 is in an unlocked position in which an actuating element17 of the locking pawl 2 extends into the recessed section 20. Amovement of the floor lock 1 in the direction of the locking elementcauses the actuating element 17 to engage with the locking element. Afurther movement of the floor lock 1 in the direction of the actuatingelement results in a pivoting movement of the locking pawl 2 in thedirection of its locked position. Then due to the operative connectionexisting via the control pawl 3, a movement of the securing pawl 4 alsooccurs in the direction of its secured position until the lockingelement is completely framed in the recessed section 20.

To compensate position tolerances between the locking element and thefloor lock 1, the recessed section 20 is overdimensioned. Moreover, thelocking pawl 2 is adjustable in the direction of the unlocked positionstarting from the locked position via a partial area in such a way thatthe locking element is nonetheless completely framed in the recessedsection 20 by the locking pawl 2 and the housing base body 5 together.The position fixation of the locking pawl 2 in the partial area occursby self-locking

1. A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat for detachably connecting themotor vehicle seat to a vehicle floor, with comprising: a locking pawladjustable between a locked position and an unlocked positions and acontrol pawl which fixes the position of the locking pawl, is inoperative connection with the locking pawl and is adjustable relative tothe latter between a closed position and an open position, wherein thelocked position of the locking pawl is secured by a securing pawlarranged in a secured position in which the securing pawl is inoperative connection with the control pawl and is adjustable using thelatter between the secured position and a release position.
 2. A floorlock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the securingpawl is pretensioned in the direction of its release position and/or thelocking pawl is pretensioned in the direction of its unlocked position.3. A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim 2, whereinthe control pawl is pretensioned in the direction of its closedposition.
 4. A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim 3wherein the initial tension acting on the control pawl is greater thanthe initial tension acting on the securing pawl and/or locking pawl. 5.A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein thecontrol pawl in its closed position touches surfaces of the securingpawl and the locking pawl facing each other.
 6. A floor lock for a motorvehicle seat according to claim 5 wherein the touching surfaces of thecontrol pawl and the securing pawl and/or the control pawl and thelocking pawl in the closed position of the control pawl are formed insuch a way that self-locking occurs between the touching surfaces, whichinhibits independent displacement of the securing pawl in the directionof its release position and/or of the locking pawl in the direction ofits unlocked position.
 7. A floor lock for a motor vehicle seataccording to claim 1 wherein the control pawl in its open position issituated in such a way on the locking pawl arranged in the unlockedposition and/or the securing pawl arranged in the release position thatthe locking pawl blocks against a displacement in the direction of itslocked position and/or the securing pawl in the direction of its securedposition.
 8. A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim 1wherein the locking pawl has an actuating element which can be broughtinto engagement with a locking element, the actuating element beingsituated in such a way that a movement of the locking pawl which is inthe open position in the direction of the locking element causes amovement of the locking pawl in the direction of the closed position. 9.A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein thelocking pawl encompasses the locking element situated in the lockedposition in a recess of a housing in such a way that the locking elementis framed by the locking pawl and the housing together.
 10. A floor lockfor a motor vehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein the locking pawlis adjustable to compensate position tolerances with respect to thelocking element from the locked position in the direction of theunlocked position via a partial area framing the locking element withthe housing, with the contact areas of the locking pawl and the controlpawl formed in such a way that independent displacement of the lockingpawl from a position within the partial area in the direction of theunlocked position is blocked by self-locking
 11. A floor lock for amotor vehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein in the secured positionthe securing pawl at least partially encompasses the locking pawl on theouter side.
 12. A floor lock for a motor vehicle seat according to claim1 wherein the contact surfaces of the locking pawl and securing pawltouching one another in the crash position are spaced apart in thelocked position of the locking pawl.
 13. A floor lock for a motorvehicle seat according to claim 1 wherein the control pawl is associatedwith a fastening element, in particular a fastening clip for arranging apull strap.